A different league source emphasized that although the NBA and WNBA share resources, this source did not believe the NBA was sending checks to individual teams or paying the players salaries. As someone who has studied the WNBA for years, Ive been excited to witness, over the course of this season, continued growth in viewership and attendance, along with sponsorship revenue. The answer is that reward is not necessarily proportional to effort. NBAs executive vice president of communications, Richard Sandomirwrote in The New York Times, Each year, Forbesestimates the revenues and operating income, Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN reported, we can see player costs are about $11.4 million, In other words, for less than the Washington Wizards are paying Ian Mahinmi, In the overall economy, labor tends to be paid 60% of revenue, Herbert Simon purchased the Indiana Pacers for $4.5 million, NBA has received more than $3 billion in taxpayer subsidies, the sports media devotes more than 95% of its coverage to mens sports, with a performance that was more efficient than anything in WNBA and NBA history, The low pay might also reduce the number of girls who choose to acquire the skills necessary to eventually play professional basketball. nice. She was referring to teams' flying coach -- franchises aren't allowed to charter even if they want to -- and players who have four years' or less experience in the league having to share hotel rooms. Some might not realize that six franchises, including four-time champion Houston, have folded since the WNBA began. Some are near the end of their basketball careers, and others are just starting. It took the NBA 72 years to get to where the league is today, while the WNBA is only in its 21st season. TV viewership tells a similar story. It has been reported that more than 60% of the WNBAs players play in a league outside the United States when the WNBA season ends. "But I think we all can feel and sense what's happening. One of the most controversial issues in today's sports society is whether basketball and . Let's dive deep into each one. Diggins-Smith has made hundreds of thousands of dollars during her five seasons in the WNBA, yet she feels its unfair that she makes considerably less than NBA players. And average pay in these leagues is at least three times the average pay in the WNBA, Diana Taurasi was reportedly paid extra by her team in Russia to skip the WNBA season, Stephen Curry and LeBron James in 2017-18 likely exceed the entire revenue of the WNBA, although we can follow the lead of boxing and rank the top WNBA players among the very best basketball players in the world, It was reported that Sylvia Fowles was paid $600,000 to play in China a few years ago, Chelsea Gray (Los Angeles): 8.5 Wins, $741,485, Sylvia Fowles (Minnesota): 8.0 Wins, $700,909, Elizabeth Cambage (Dallas): 7.3 Wins, $648,753, Nneka Ogwumike (Los Angeles): 6.9 Wins, $610,720, Skylar Diggins-Smith (Dallas): 6.3 Wins, $564,534, Jewell Loyd (Seattle): 5.8 Wins, $517,210, Alysa Thomas (Connecticut): 5.7 Wins, $509,387, Angel McCoughtry (Atlanta): 5.6 Wins, $508,341, Natalie Achonwa (Indiana): 5.5 Wins, $497,566, Breanna Stewart (Seattle): 5.4 Wins, $486,300, Diana Taurasi (Phoenix): 5.0 Wins, $455,025, DeWanna Bonner (Phoenix): 4.9 Wins, $444,980, Elena Delle Donne (Washington): 4.8 Wins, $441,305, Cheyenne Parker (Chicago): 4.7 Wins, $432,856, Chiney Ogwumike (Connecticut): 4.7 Wins, $432,013. The article "Pay WNBA players what they deserve" was published on September 18th 2020. the author (Jessica W. Luther) explains furthermore on why WNBA players should get paid more.I think this source is reliable, because the author is a known investigative journalist who focuses on the intersection of sports and gendered violence. The league minimum for a player with two or fewer years of service is $41,202; for three or more years of service, the minimum is $56,100. Most Bangladeshis earn a living through agriculture, primarily cultivating rice and jute but also maize and vegetables. For the average sports fan, the league is almost meaningless. I know this is a controversial statement because women are never supposed to ask for more than they have, lest they be ungrateful for whatever theyve been given thus far. Why Wnba Should Get Paid - 383 Words | Internet Public Library Theres no argument for lack of revenue unless you make those that say they stand for women actually stand up. But not womens basketball college or pro (according to the NCAA, the average attendance for college basketball for the 2018-19 season was 1,625 for Division I women and 5,650 for Division I men). For instance, a 2021 . Still, despite lacking the advantages of the NBA, the WNBA can have a bigger goal than just turning a small profit each year. The fact that NBA players get a much larger piece of the revenue pie does seem to say something about how each respective league values its players. As David Berri wrote for Forbes recently. And yet, for all this effort, there is little economic reward. Here are some reasons why the (WNBA) Women's National Basketball Association should get paid more. Furthermore, two years earlier, the league studied its fan base and discovered that 25 percent of WNBA fans identified as lesbian. Opinions expressed by Forbes Contributors are their own. The NBAs annual revenues are $7.92 billion, the WNBAs $60 million which would not even cover the combined salaries of NBA players Kevin Love and Damian Lillard. And then most players will join their overseas teams. We dont know exactly how much revenue the WNBA brings in, but given the leagues minimum ticket prices, average attendance, and the value of its ESPN television deal it appears revenue was at least $51.5 million in 2017. The WNBA is underpaid, but the NBA gets paid more than 5 times the WNBA player's salary. I do not know if the difference in demand for mens and womens basketball is because of a difference in the quality of the product or because of sexism on the part of consumers. The methodology used to measure exploitation in college basketball can help answer that question. It's not a gender issue. The level of support, though, is not clear. But there were people behind it, building the platform, and more importantly telling individual stories and building up the interest in the players, tweeted Green. He estimated that WNBA player salaries constitute 22 percent of league revenue, while NBA player salaries amount to roughly 50 percent of league revenues. But in terms of pay, it definitely is not. If we assume the average hasnt changed, with 148 players in the league the total salaries paid to players in 2018 is about $11.1 million. The ability to turn inputs into outputs is what economists call productivity. First, based on their skill level and work ethic, WNBA players deserve to get more money. By clicking submit, you agree to receive emails from Rolling Out and accept our web terms of use and privacy and cookie policy. The day after this game Cambage made this statement about the WNBA: The WNBA is constantly called the best league in the world, yet we dont get treated like the best athletes in the world., Cambage is not the only player who thinks the WNBA players should be treated better. Brian Windhorst and Zach Lowe of ESPN reported in September 2017 that before revenue sharing, 14 of the NBAs 30 teams lost money. Copyright 20102023, The Conversation US, Inc. Doppler, the mascot of the Seattle Storm, waves a rainbow gay pride flag before the start of a game. NBA. Stay in your lane homie because you not out here hoopin every night. And so these women are playing year-round, which is terrible for your body. We need that feedback. Not to discredit any work that they've put in, but you have women playing year-round basketball going overseas to have more opportunities for higher wages. Of course, a bump to 50 percent of WNBA league revenue isnt realistic, because theres a difference between revenue and profit. The latter doesnt produce the same revenues or interest as the mens game (quick, name five of the best LPGA players). (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images), (Photo by Tim Clayton/Corbis via Getty Images), recently made this observation on Twitter about pay in the WNBA, but Yahoo.com reported a few years ago that salaries range from $150,000 to $550,000, theres still a substantial gender wage gap in professional basketball, but given the leagues minimum ticket prices, average attendance, and the value of its ESPN television deal it appears revenue was at least $51.5 million in 2017, it has been reported that average salary is about $75,000, The methodology used to measure exploitation in college basketball, wins produced can be measured with the players box score statistics, It has been reported that more than 60% of the WNBAs players play in a league outside the United States when the WNBA season ends. The NBA clearly benefits from free advertising from a wide variety of sports media outlets 365 days a year. 2023 NBA Free Agency: Why fantasy managers should want these six Some WNBA players can even dunk. Im the highest paid player on the Dallas Wings, and my salary is in the low six figures. What big shows are coming up in Utah? Thats where the WNBA finds itself in its search for an identity (and higher pay) on the American sports scene. In sum, the NBA didnt regard every dollar spent as a cost but rather as an investment that would help its league grow. Elizabeth Cambage #8 of the Dallas Wings in action, during a recent Dallas Wings Vs New York Liberty. NBA Players Should Not Get Paid As Much - 293 Words | Bartleby Ninety-five percent or higher of sports media content is focused on men, even though women make up 40 percent of all sports participants. Also, the free market in the United States is precisely why the WNBA has had to be so rigid in containing salaries and trying to maintain a level playing field for all its franchises: The league has yet to sell itself to corporate America and the ticket-buying public to the degree it aspires to. Like I Am. NBA games average 2 million TV viewers per game;WNBA games averaged 246,000 viewers during the 2019 regular season, according to Sports Media Watch (well ignore the 2020 season impacted by the pandemic). In other words, for less than the Washington Wizards are paying Ian Mahinmi, the WNBA could give its players the same revenue share that NBA players are paid. Here's Exactly Why NBA Makes More Than WNBA - Professionals HQ It wasnt until 1984 that the Olympics created a marathon for women. And Britney Griner,in an interview with Landon Buford,echoed the sentiment: We should get paid more. "What I try to tell them is, 'Just get to know me. As long as yall make the argument about pay, while the revenue stays the same they will continue to point at the revenue not being high enough to cover bigger salaries. Almost 10,000 less people go to the women's games then the mens, and people are saying they should get paid the same. How hip-hop inspired relaunch of Willie Esco clothing collection, Atlanta mourns the loss of business leader Maceo A. But the incredible rise in living standards which we have seen since the Industrial Revolution has not been the result of working harder. MINNEAPOLIS -- Hours before taking the court for Saturday's All-Star Game, WNBA players met for breakfast and a civics lesson at a downtown Minneapolis hotel. However, the WNBA sends its paychecks on time, and they don't bounce. A WNBA spokesperson reached out to HuffPost after this op-ed was published, however, and said the WNBA has lost significant money every year and has shared its financials with the Players Association. ", Why increasing WNBA player salaries is more complex than you think, WNBA Power Rankings: How the Sun can keep winning without Brionna Jones. There remain societal challenges in building professional women's sports that men's sports never faced. are vocal in their support of the womens league because of the quality of play and because they understand the hard work these women put into their game. Pay WNBA Players What They Deserve | HuffPost Opinion Archive If the objective of the league is that each and every team should make a profit each and every year, then its possible that paying the players more would be a problem. "If the WNBA doesn't figure this out, players are going to opt out of the league. Of course, the NBA rakes in far more revenue. She is also not the only one to skip a WNBA season. For example, according to World Bank data, in 2012, the value added per agricultural worker was $61,634 in the United States. [Whos] building the interest and transforming womens basketball into a global game? he asked. Overseas compensation has been a free-market roller-coaster, in contrast to the predictable but rigid WNBA, which has a hard cap and salary structure. The NBA and WNBA have little in common, other than they play the same sport. Which is kind of unbelievable, as WNBA All-Star point guard for the Dallas Wings, Skylar Diggins-Smith, put it recently: Before we even talk about base salary or anything like that, we dont even get paid the same percentage of the revenue that we bring in., Unfortunately, its not clear what the WNBAs exact revenue is, or individual teams, or their profits. For all this, Fowles was named league MVP. In a way, this strategy makes perfect sense. Elizabeth Cambage the star center for the Dallas Wings recently made this observation on Twitter about pay in the WNBA: today I learnt NBA refs make more than a WNBA player and the 12th man on a NBA team makes more than a WHOLE WNBA team.. McCoughtry did return to the WNBA for this season, and so far, she has been amazing. Plus, the WNBA provides health insurance and a 401(k) program. And average pay in these leagues is at least three times the average pay in the WNBA. Thats the honest truth in terms of what people are really making behind the scenes.. Jackson said the CBA "needs to catch up to the times.". From the point of view of the team owners, the measure of output that matters is the revenue the players generate. By contrast, the highest scoring team in the NBA that year was the Golden State Warriors, who averaged 112.8 points per game. Reasons Why Wnba Players Are Underpaid | ipl.org The NBAs average attendance is 17,760, the WNBAs 6,535. Why Are WNBA Players Getting Paid Less Than NBA Players? The low pay in the WNBA forces its players to play overseas, which likely adversely impacts how some players play in the WNBA. And thats a 7% improvement. Close Menu Search 1 Argumentative Research Paper Reasons why WNBA players' salaries should be increased Since the appearance of Women's National Basketball Association (WNBA) there has been a huge gap between male and female basketball players' salaries. Nows a good time for players to advocate for themselves because the product in the WNBA has never been better. Perhaps for as little as the NBA paysMahinmi (or Brandon Knight, or Tim Hardaway Jr., etc. Marketing researchers have discovered that consumers respond more favorably to marketing initiatives that cater to their identities. Can the WNBA pay more? Why Do NBA Players Get Paid More Than WNBA? (The TRUTH) But on a fundamental economic level, it is wrong, and the disparities we see between athletes salaries illustrate why. Diana Taurasi is called the Michael Jordan of the WNBA. Ever heard of her? 1 pick in the 2017 WNBA draft recently questioned the story that WNBA teams are struggling: People are still trying to figure out, if the WNBA is always losing money and if the WNBA is in the red, why do we keep it around? And yet, they do it, in large part, for the financial security it provides. This was a stellar season, where the final eight teams that made the playoffs werent determined until the last few games. Therefore, it is not surprising the WNBA pays lower salariesIn 2017, the WNBA posted its highest attendance in six years. He tied a . One might argue that male players produce more points. Following the success of the 2014 Pride Campaign, the league has continued to reach out to gay fans, promoting stories about their LGBT players, and offering special merchandise for Pride Month and Pride Night games. Last year, Minnesota Lynxs Seimone Augustus told The Undefeated that the reasons players continue in the league is for history and for the future. Until they get it, some of the worlds best female basketball players will be walking off of planes and onto courts as they meet the demands of a year-round basketball schedule. Due to So often when the question, "Why do male athletes get paid more than female . Part of HuffPost News. Many of the women dont get lucrative endorsements, and getting into broadcasting or some other sports-adjacent field once they retire is not guaranteed. Essay On Women And Basketball Players Are Underpaid Aces teammate Kayla McBride added, "The thing that bothers me the most is the respect factor. Of 199 countries for which the World Bank has GDP data for, in 2012 Bangladesh ranked 175th. Because these women deserve more money. Pay disparities between men and women is totally unfair in most arenas, but NBA star Draymond Green argued a valid point as to why NBA player salaries outweigh their WNBA counterparts. If you hate it, OK. But lets stop allowing yall complaints to fall on deaf ears due to numbers. Acknowledging critics argument (why do the critics think otherwise) Paragraph 4. Green says he is open to suggestions about other ways to bring more money and attention to the WNBA in his posts. Who is new Runnin Ute Keba Keita and how is Utahs 2022-23 roster shaping up? And I dont want to lose the WNBA or miss out on seeing the best female basketball players playing in the league. While the men are getting about half of the total money they help the NBA earn, the women are getting less than a fourth. This season, Sylvia Fowles led the WNBA in field goal percentage, finished second in rebounding per game, tied for second in blocks per game and ranked fifth in points per game. "Are we going to talk about the CBA, too?" Kyle Kuzma is a rotation-caliber forward who is hitting free agency (via player option) right in the middle of his prime. So female basketball players work just as hard as male basketball players, yet even the best WNBA players are paid much less than the mediocre and below average NBA ones. They deserve to be able to play the game they love without needing to get a second job to pay the bills. Published Sep 14, 2018 WASHINGTON - Just about everyone who takes up the conversation about salaries in the WNBA agrees on two things. Dave Berri of Forbes explains. Pay disparity between NBA, WNBA is a numbers game Many NBA players are vocal in their support of the womens league because of the quality of play and because they understand the hard work these women put into their game. Whos telling the individual stories of how great yall are? Plus, the sports media is not going to give the WNBA and its players coverage 365 days a year. Buyer Beware: Which 2023 NBA Free Agents Should Teams Avoid? In 2016-17,according to Forbes,only the Cleveland Cavaliers had an estimated operating income below zero. This was a stellar season, where the final eight teams that made the playoffs werent determined until the last few games. With this deadline looming, the players would be wise to take advantage of this opportunity and compel the league to come to the table with an offer commensurate to their worth. How much have some franchises lost? What are the richest contracts in WNBA history? Full list of highest Get to know the businesswomen, the scholars, the authors, the women of this league. Berri estimated that WNBA players were making about 22 percent of the league's revenue and contrasted that with the NBA sharing revenue 50-50 with its players. This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, except for material where copyright is reserved by a party other than FEE. So it doesnt seem the WNBA players are unreasonableto expect to be paid at least 50% of the leagues revenue. Please, enable JavaScript and reload the page to enjoy our modern features. Players who go overseas end up playing almost year-round, with little break for their bodies to recover. Womens tennis is as popular or more popular than the mens game, and womens gymnastics is much more popular than the mens sport. Therefore no one watches it, on the other hand, NBA generates more revenue of $7.92 billion per year than the WNBA. All Rights Reserved, Pay disparity between NBA, WNBA is a numbers game, Draymond Green, one of those highly paid male players, poured a little gas on the fire, the WNBA has lost an average of $10 million every year it has existed. I want them to stay here in the United States, make a lot of money and be influential in our own country.". If you don't like it. As they continue to fight for equal pay, do you think they deserve to be paid . This year, the WNBA gave companies the opportunity to sponsor a second jersey patch, while offering sponsors the chance to include a logo on the court during games that dont air on ESPN. We dont know the numbers. Of course, the story Windhorst and Lowe tell is not consistent with the story toldbyForbes. As Plum has noted, all the numbers havent been reported. Last week, this exciting season of the WNBA ended after the Seattle Storm swept the Washington Mystics to win their third championship. For example some people think that women aren't good enough to get paid more because men are faster, stronger, and more athletic (www.cnn.com.girls basketball). Theres a big gap between PGA Tour and LPGA Tour prize money. In addition to the comments from Plum, AJa Wilson and Diana Taurasirecently argued WNBA players should be paid more. The result of the question usually tends to be that most people can't even name their local WNBA team. On average, WNBA players make $75,000 a year in the league, with only a few players earning as much as $113,000. But we dont know other expenses. As a result of all this, merchandise sales grew by 18 percent in 2017, attendance has increased, more people are tuning in, and players are acquiring significant social media followings. Especially in sports. Is the secret to a happy marriage learning to be alone? On a recent episode of ESPN's "The Jump," ex-NBA player Chauncy Billups and ex-NBA coach Stan Van Gundy said that they believe that WNBA players deserve to be paid more money. This per game mark is more than 10,000 fans below the per game mark seen in the NBA in 2016-17. We had incredibly thrilling semifinals series that went a full five games apiece. But practice facilities for some franchises will still be an issue. It's not about the amount of effort or the quantity of inputs. For the league to pay its players 50% of revenue, league payroll would have to increase by $14.4 million. In the 2018 All-Star Game, for example, 32 percent of the roster identified as gay. In the overall economy, labor tends to be paid 60% of revenue. Second, no player in the WNBA will ever get LeBron James, Stephen Curry or even Joel Embiid money. Rookies are on a scale from $40,000-$50,000. The simple answer as to why NBA players get paid more than WNBA players is because of league revenue. They may exert the same physical effort, but far more money is handed over by consumers to the NBA than the WNBA in return for all this. So female basketball players work just as hard as male basketball players, yet even the best WNBA players are paid much less than the mediocre and below average NBA ones. Thats the key to changing the pay.. And although we dont know every players salary, it has been reported that average salary is about $75,000. All have a vested interest in how compensation and amenities, particularly travel, impact not just each individual player but also the WNBA itself. Specifically, lets imagine the WNBA gave 50% of its revenue to its players. In addition, the WNBA receives some support from the NBA. We just want it to be better and people to get what they deserve. "An average WNBA athlete makes an average of 72,000 dollars a year." ("Gender, 2014") That's no money compared to what an NBA athlete makes a year. is not about comparing the WNBA to the NBA as apples-to-apples salaries. But should they be seeing an increase in their earnings? If the WNBA doesnt figure this out, players are going to opt out of the league. It seems preposterous now, but only 50 years ago womens high school sports largely did not exist. A WNBA player's average salary is 46,000 dollars per year, which if multiplied by five it still doesn't equal out to the average NBA player's salary per year. That's something the players will have to try to successfully negotiate to their satisfaction in the next collective bargaining. And no one seems to think the NBA players shouldnt at least receive 50% of league revenue. NBAs teams generated $5.9 billion in revenue in 2015-16. The WNBA is 50 years behind in building its brand and working out labor issues. Why WNBA Players Should Be Paid More? Know It All Now - Begin Basketball Teams can give all the money to one player or spread it out among several. Not surprisingly, sponsorship revenue, in turn, has grown. Some players avoid social media to discuss WNBA compensation for that reason, but others are undaunted. 2023 BuzzFeed, Inc. All rights reserved. Kelsey Plum of the Las Vegas Aces driving against, Lindsay Whalen of the Minnesota Lynx. Should WNBA Players Get Higher Pay? Stats show that in 2018, the top scoring team in the WNBA, the Connecticut Sun, averaged 87.6 points per game. How much do younger players -- who have been among the most outspoken -- truly understand about the history and economics of their league? Persuasive essay: Why WNBA players should receive equal pay as NBA players Paragraph 1. Griner, WNBA travel and charters: What's allowed? The Liberty, one of the WNBA's original franchises, previously played at Madison Square Garden, save for a three-year stay at the Prudential Center in Newark, New Jersey, during Garden renovations. That means that in 2017, the WNBA paid no more than 22.8% of its revenue to its players. Many. The NBA is 75 years old, the WNBA 25. Diggins-Smith also spoke about the sheer physical efforts of female basketball players. In other words, for less than the Washington Wizards are paying Ian Mahinmi, the WNBA . With the relatively short window of an athletic career, players go overseas to earn as much money as they can. That is somebody elsesjob, but we should definitely get paid more. The money isnt there. The problem is that the WNBA should be paid as equally as the NBA. Directly comparing revenue-sharing percentage, though, is problematic. Many people argue that the NBA is better than the WNBA. A lot of them have earned more in leagues outside the United States than they have in the WNBA, but that has always had its ups and downs, too. It has taken decades to overcome such backward thinking, and the womens games have been playing catch-up ever since. So it seems odd to have this requirement for WNBA teams. The NBA is broadcasted in 96 . The almost year-round playing schedule has been the way things are since the WNBA began in 1997. Men's pro leagues had to work to establish financial viability, but men didn't face scorn, derision or resistance for simply being athletes.